Improvement in let-offs and take-ups for looms



JOHN F. KIRVKYVOOD,"OF THISTLE, MARYLAND.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 58,433, dated October '2, 1866.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. Kiniwoon, of Thistle, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Looms and I do hereby de` clare the following' to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe nature, construction, and` operation ot' the same, reference bein g had to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part ot' this specification, and in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a loom illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of a portion of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical 1ongitudinnl section thereof.

Similar letters ot' reference denote correspondin g parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to improvements 'in the construction and operation of the let-off and takeup mechanism.

In general terms, the chief object of the invention is to provide for the yarn-beam aselfadjusting tension device which shall, as the` operation progresses, adjust the let-off mechanism in order to increase the speed of the yarn-beam, and thus maintain a uniform feed of the warp-threads. .l

The principal feature'of the invention con sists in the method of combining a self-adjusting tensionlever bearing upon the yarn-beam with a spiral spring, which is, by the constant movement of the lever due to its adjustment, made to oifer less and less resistance to. the motion .of thev oscillating whip-roll, andthus enable the latter, through the medium of a reciprocating rod connected therewith, to act with increasing effect upon the devices which impart motion to the yarn-beam.

This increased extent of motion is necessary in order to obtain a uniform feeding or lettingoff of the warp-threads, as for a fixed or uniform extent of motion the feeding would decrease commensnrately with the decrease of the diameter ot' the cylinder or yarn-beam from which the warp-threads are paid 0E.

The invention further consists in the arrangement whereby a single cam is made to `operate both thelet-oif and take-up mechanism.

The following description will enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to fully understand and use the same.

In the accompanying drawings, A A may represent various parts of the frame of the loom B, the yarn-beam; C Cf, the cloth-beams;

D, the receivingroll. E is a horizontal shaft, mounted within the lower part of the frame A,

`and rotated continuously by any suitable driv` ing-power. E is a cam ixed upon the shaft E, and having a form approximating to that F is a lever, the loose extremity The pivoted v end of the lever F is bent at a right angle to of a heart.` of which rests upon the cam E.

the lever proper, and passes through the frame A, the projecting extremity ofthe bent part having tixed upon it a vibrating arm, G, which carries a pivoted catch, H, which operates a ratchet-wheel, I, whereby motion is communicated through suitable gearing to the clothbeam Cf. The receiving-roll D is connected with the cloth-beam in customary manner, so as to rotate simultaneously therewith.

From the above it will be seen that the parts i connected with and operated by the pivoted end ofthe lever F constitute the take-up 1necl1- anism.

The devices which produce the let-off motion of theyarn-beam B receive motion from the loose extremitv of the lever F, and I shall now proceed to describe them.

J is a horizontal shaft, formed with a worm,-

j, gearing with a worm-wheel, K, which is hxed upon a short shaft, k, on the inner end ot which is a pinion, L, engaging with the toothed t beam-head B.

M is a ratchet-wheel, keyed upon the horizontal shaft J, and receiving an intermittent` f rotary motion in one direction only from a catch, N, which is pivoted to a lug, 0, projecting from an arm, P, which works freely upon the horizontal shaft J, and extends inward suf cientl y to be struck upward by the loose extremity of the lever F, as the latter is thrown upward by the cam E. The outer end of the arm P is weighted, in order to preserve its normal operating position, or, in other words, to balanceit in such a way as to prevent it from assuming any position other than that which is due to the action of the devices whereby it is actuated. The elevation of the arm P (meaning the inner extremity thereof) causes the catch N to impart a partial rotary movement to the ratchet-wheel M. Areverse or downward movement of the arm P is effected by the vertically-reciprocating rod Q, which is held within a socket., R, attached to the end UNITED brArEfsffPaTnN-r Garten.;

of a vibrating arm, S, which is xed upon the end of the oscillating whip-roll T. The whiproll receives an oscillating or rocking motion from the warp-threads in consequence of the strain or jerk to which the latter are subjected when the lay is brought against the cloth.`

This jerking action of the warp-threads throws the whip-roll into an approximately horizontal position, from which it is immediately thrown into its inclined position by the action of a spiral spring, U.

These oscillations of the whip-roll T vibrate the arm S, and produce the vertical reciprocating movement of the rod Q, which serves in part to operate the let-oft` devices.

One extremity of the spiral spring U is fastened to a screw-bolt, s, 'which is adjusted and retained in a lug, s', by means of a nut, s?, said lug s' being fixed to. an extension, s3, of the arm S. The other end of the spring U is at'- tached to a stud, c, which is retained by a nut,

c', in a slotted arm, V', attached to a stud-l shaft, c', which passes through the bracket W, and has attached to its opposite end the tension-regulating lever V. This lever carries 'at its loose extremity a friction-roller, V2, which bears constantly upon the periphery or circumference of the body of thread wound upon the yarn-beam B.

It will now be seen, as hereinafter explained, that the spring U, actin g through the arm V', stud-shaft o', and lever V, holds the roller V2 against the yarn-beam with sufficient pressure to make the letting-off of the warp-threads conform to the positive and determinate action of the let-oft' devices.

When the yarn-beam is full at the commencement of the operation, the lever V, or rather its loose extremity, occupies an elevated position and the lever falls as the threads are un- Wound.

The el'ect of the falling of the lever is to contract and thus reduce .the strength ofthe spring U, by bringing its point of .attachment c nearer to itsopposite point of attachment s, the arm V' having its upper extremity vibrated in the direction of the oscillating whip-roll T as the lever V'falls. Hence, as the diameter of mass of yarn on the yarn-beam is diminished, the let-off motion increases, for the contraction or weakening of the spring U, by the depression of the lever V, enables a given force applied to the oscillating whip-roll to act through the arm S with greater effect upon the vertically-reciprocating rod Q-that is to say, the motion of the whip-roll, being less retarded by the spiral spring U, is allowed to depress the rod Q to a greater extent, and this increase of movement being` imparted to the arm P of the catch N, it follows that the movements due to the -elevation and depression of the said arm P must cause each effective movement of the catch N to turn the ratchet M farther than previously-that is, when the tension of the spring U was greater.

The pressure of the roller V2 of the lever V may be varied by settin g the stud o; in different positions on the arm V', so as to vary its leverage. This is effected by means of the slot therein and the nut 'U'.

The tensionl of the spring U can be varied,

as occasion may require, by the screw-bolt s and nut s2.

A weighted cord or strap, depending from the pulley X, may be employed for the purpose of preventing the shaft S from undergoing any further rotary movement than that which is imparted by the actuating devices.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new herein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. The combination of thelever V and spring U with the whip-roll T, arm S, and rod Q, for the purpose of increasing the speed of the letoff devices conformably with the decrease of the thread upon the yarn-beam, substantially as described.

2. The arrangement of the lever F, cam E', and arm P, for imparting motion to both the let-oftl and take-up mechanism, as described.

JOHN F. KIRKWOOD.

Witnesses:

I. THOMPSON, SAMUEL MAINsTEP.. 

